CCI: Green Lantern Panel

DC Comics' Saturday afternoon Green Lantern panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego saw Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Tony Bedard, Joe Prado, and editor Eddie Berganza on hand to discuss major recent and upcoming events in the Corps, both in comics and on film. Midway through the panel, Johns announced that next year would see a new CGI animated "Green Lantern" series on Cartoon Network.

After Berganza asked how many fans saw the "Green Lantern" movie footage in Hall H, there was applause and many shouts to show it again. "I don't have it, sorry," Johns said. He confirmed that many favorite characters like Kilowog and Salaak would appear, as well as Parallax entity, but would not comment on Mogo.

Reis said that the hardest part about "Blackest Night" was that "it kept getting bigger," adding that he increased his output of pages per month from 18 to 22. Johns then joked, "the mistake Ivan made is, I gave him a double-page spread with 500 characters and he did it really well. So I did it again."

An upcoming "Green Lantern Corps" arc will focus on the Weaponer of Qward, who forged Sinestro's first yellow ring, Bedard said. "He's got an axe to grind" against Sinestro for "all the baggage he brings" to the antimatter universe of Qward.

Prado said it was "very difficult" to design the visuals of "Brightest Day." "Do you remember how many versions of Martian Manhunter we went through? 17! That sounds like not so much, but it's 175 emails!" The boots were the biggest point of contention, along with debate about whether Martian Manhunter should have pants. On cue, a fan shouted, "A jacket!" referring to the current Wonder Woman redesign controversy.

"Hal finds out that Larfleez has moved into a small town in Minnesota, and is breaking in to every house and terrorizing people," Johns said of an upcoming "Green Lantern" story. "And he becomes obsessed with Santa Claus," Johns said. "Hal's trying to convince him [Santa] doesn't exist."

Johns clarified that not all entities are good, after confessing there may have been some confusion.

In November 2011, there will be a CGI animated series of the Green Lantern Corps on Cartoon Network, Johns announced.

The floor was then opened to questions.

A fan asked, "When are we going to hear the Orange oath?" "Eventually," Johns said. "It's not mine, I'll tell you that much. And it's not 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.'"

Johns noted that "we've introduced more new characters in 'Green Lantern' than perhaps in any other franchise." He sees this world-building as key to the title's long-term success.

There was also a question about whether Johns has spoken with Alan Moore, given that parts of his run and "Blackest Night" are based partly and loosely on a short story of Moore's. The answer was no, they have not spoken, but Johns appreciates and builds from the whole history of GL creators.

A fan said he wanted Mogo not to solve every problem. "Next time we'll have the Green Lantern sun do it," Johns joked.

Another wanted to know about "deputized heroes," like "Blackest Night's" Blue Lantern Flash, in "Brightest Day." "Not in the same way," Johns said. After further prompting, "It's more black and white in 'Brightest Day.'"

Reis and Johns will be doing "Sinestro Secret Origins," Reis said.

A fan asked if she and all the others in costume could take pictures with the creators after the panels. "You guys are the reason we're wearing spandex in public," she said. "Sure," Johns replied.

Asked about Krypto fighting Dex-Starr, Johns said, "what do you think the Valentine's special is about?"

Carol Ferris "has a pretty major change in issue #57," Johns said when asked about the character.

Bedard briefly discussed "R.E.B.E.L.S.," his space-faring series, which is a team book but "essentially a solo series" about Vril Dox. The difference between R.E.B.E.L.S. and Green Lanterns, Bedard said, "is they come in and you have to pay for it, where as the Green Lanterns do it altruistically." This creates "a business problem for Dox.

After issue #20, the team in that title will no longer be called L.E.G.I.O.N. but will become R.E.B.E.L.S., which Lobo says stands for, "Random Everyday Bastiches Ending Legion Supremacy," according to Bedard.

There will be a White Lantern oath introduced in "Brightest Day," Johns said.

The remainder of the 10 new laws the Guardians introduced in "Sinestro Corps War" will be revealed eventually, Johns said.

The character Dex-Starr wants to kill is not a character we've seen before, Johns said. "It's the guy that broke in and murdered his owner, he's pretty upset about that."

A fan asked how Hal Jordan remains in the Air Force despite his extensive responsibilities as Green Lantern. "His boss knows he's Green Lantern, so I think when Hal disappears for five months at a time, he's just, 'eh.'"

Superboy-Prime is "on the shelf" for now, Johns said. "He was fun to write, but I've written him. A lot." Johns added that Hal Jordan's friend and onetime sidekick Tom Kalmaku would appear soon in the comic and have a role in the movie.

Regarding the Marine and architect side of John Stewart's personality, Bedard said, "I think those two sides work really well together, and when the chips are down, to see which side takes over." He also joked that someone said to him, "John Stewart is the one character in comics who most needs to get laid."

Berganza showed a slide displaying the new Weaponer villain, wielding a shield "made in part from White Lantern entity." "When the White Ring creates a construct, it's there forever," Johns added.

A fan asked if Bruce Wayne "would be rejecting any more power rings, like he did in 'Sinestro Corps War.'" "You will see something, actually," Johns said.

Ardian Syaf's run on "Green Lantern Corps" was planned as a brief run to give Tyler Kirkham time to begin his arc and because Syaf could do it in addition to "Brightest Day." "There will be more plans for Ardian," Berganza said.

Asked about Lanterns on "Robot Chicken," Johns said he's just finished writing on the third "Star Wars" special but that another writer wrote a Green Lantern sketch. "So you will see one."

The final question was "about getting John [Stewart] laid." "Are you going to follow up on the Fatality connection?" "I think that would be 'part of process,'" Bedard joked, "but I don't want to go in the obvious direction."